The Vampire's Mark 3: Cold Heir (Reverse Harem Romance)

by Rachel Jonas

“Just like Mistress Corina eventually realized?”

  My smile returned. “Yes, just like that.”

  We both fell silent after that name was mentioned. If I had to guess, it wasn’t lost on Elle how heavy my heart had been in the weeks past. Yes, the fact that I was still alive meant she and Levi were still alive—per the laws of the blood bond—but it wasn’t enough. The woman my heart was undeniably bound to, and my brother, were still out there somewhere. Yet, despite my best efforts, I still had no clue where somewhere was.

  “So, it must be nice having your mother home again,” Elle piped, unknowingly touching on another sensitive subject.

  I only nodded, not wanting to call attention to the fact that her absence during one of the most trying times of my life had been beyond strange. Granted, she had duties of her own as empress of this quadrant, but her presence here at home would have been appreciated. I wouldn’t go as far as my father had, suggesting she’d been selfish, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a bit slighted.

  Elle studied me while I drove. I felt it.

  “You’re upset she was away for so long, aren’t you?” she asked.

  There was no need to confirm what she already knew.

  “Well,” Elle continued, “she and the Emperor have been together many, many years. It’s not uncommon for a woman to step out of her marriage if she’s feeling unfulfilled.”

  The statement was made so casually—like Elle was merely stating a statistic—that I had to laugh.

  “I—thank you for that,” I stammered. “While I do think there’s something going on, I doubt it’s an affair.”

  Elle shrugged, reminding me of Corina when she did. That was a gesture she made often, hence the reason Elle had picked up on it.

  “Well, if not an affair, then what?”

  A deep breath left my mouth as I considered keeping what I’d seen to myself. However, Elle was more than just a member of my staff, she’d been a good friend.

  “Well, as you know, I went to the main palace to greet her when she arrived. Everything seemed normal enough, aside from her incessant apologies for being away so long. Though I’m sure you can guess my father wasn’t exactly open to hearing the excuses.”

  Elle giggled a bit, likely imagining it.

  “About halfway into their argument,” I continued, “I made myself scarce by taking her bags upstairs, instead of waiting for someone else to grab them. I took them to the closet where her handmaid would unpack her things, but, as I was turning to leave, something caught my eye.”

  Elle was nearly on the edge of her seat, waiting to hear more.

  “It was an envelope,” I revealed. “And had this been like all her other trips, had she not come back with this air of … secrecy surrounding her, I might not have looked, but—”

  “You went through her things?” Elle gasped. When I glanced over at her, there was no missing how much she disapproved.

  “I did, but only because I was concerned.” With good reason …

  That judgmental stare was set on me a few seconds longer before Elle’s curiosity got the best of her.

  “Did you at least find something that justified your snooping?”

  Envisioning the discovery in my thoughts, I still didn’t have an explanation.

  “It was a purchase agreement,” I shared. “For two harvesting camps. One not too far outside the Capitol, the other in the North Quadrant.”

  “But I don’t understand. Why would she lie about her business in Wakeshire?”

  I believed I knew the answer to that. “Because my father would never approve. The man supports and agrees with the idea of the camps, but he’s done his best to stay out of the day-to-day process of the system, opting to stay on the lawmaking side instead. The clean side that just reaps the benefits,” I added, noting the disdain I carried in my own voice.

  It shouldn’t have surprised me how much my views were beginning to shift, considering the amount of communication I’d had with Corina’s team. Considering how much more in-tune I’d become with her despite her absence.

  “So, what do you intend to do with this information? Tell your father? Confront your mother head-on?”

  Before she even finished asking, I shook my head.

  “None of the above. I only intend to mind my business. I’m in enough hot water as it is, without sticking my nose in my parents’ business where it doesn’t belong.”

  There was silence as Elle studied me again.

  “I can see you don’t want to discuss this further, so we don’t have to.”

  “Thank you,” I sighed.

  “No problem,” she chirped. “I would, however, like to discuss this mission you’re on tonight.”

  The term made me frown. “There is no mission.”

  “Well, you can call it whatever you’d like.” Apparently, she begged to differ. “But you and Prince Silas have, illegally, procured an Ianite-owned truck to, illegally, transport food to humans who dwell outside a harvesting camp … illegally,” she added with a cheeky grin.

  I couldn’t help but to laugh at her summation of our actions.

  “Don’t misunderstand,” she added, “I think what you two are doing here is honorable, and it shows your heart, but … does it serve either of us to deny the nature of this endeavor?”

  I’d forgotten how tiresome it was to argue with her. “Touché.”

  “Great. Now, since we’re both on the same page, can we discuss it openly? I have a few questions.”

  “Go ahead,” I chuckled, still shaking my head at her.

  “Well, to start, am I wrong in assuming that you genuinely care about these two we’re meeting tonight? Otherwise, I’m guessing you wouldn’t have gone out of your way to help them, and wouldn’t have agreed to do it for a second time. Unless, of course, you have some other reason I’ve missed. An ulterior motive?”

  It wasn’t lost on me how her tone changed when asking the last question. It was as if she reserved some of the hope in her heart, just in case I let her down by confirming that there was, in fact, a hidden motive.

  “I’ve grown to understand them a little better these couple weeks since we first met,” I admitted. “And through getting to know them, I feel I’ve gotten to know Corina better as well. Like some of the missing pieces of her puzzle are finally starting to come together.”

  Elle didn’t say much, which was unexpected.

  “What do you think about all this?” I asked.

  She turned and her eyes lit up a bit, maybe liking that I was interested in her opinion.

  “Before meeting Mistress Corina, I didn’t have much contact with humans, other than the occasional encounter with a Doll when we were out and about. All I knew of them was what I heard from other sources, but now that I’ve gotten to know her … I’ve had a hard time understanding why they’ve been reduced to … well, a means of food and free labor.”

  The depth of her responses never ceased to amaze me. Tonight was no exception.

  “Did I say something wrong?” she asked when I fell quiet for a moment.

  “No, it’s more a matter of what you said right. Now, if only there weren’t five-hundred years of traditionalism stopping me from doing something about it.”

  I slipped into my own thoughts, imagining all the red tape and bureaucracy that stood between the humans and freedom.

  “Julian, I think it has been the role of so many to convince you that you’re less than you are. As a monarch, they’ve led you to believe you’re nothing more than a title, merely a mouthpiece that speaks for the powers that be, instead of yourself. But … when I look at you, I see more than your crown,” she shared, prompting me to glance at her. “I have faith that, during your reign, or perhaps before even being seated in the throne, you’ll do great things. I believe you’re this Dynasty’s best hope for change.”

  I heard Elle loud and clear, believed she saw things as simplistically as she’d just made them out to be, but I didn’t see our world through the
same rose-colored lenses.

  “There are a lot of people who don’t want things to return to how they were before. You do realize that, don’t you?” It wasn’t her fault her view of things may have been a bit skewed, so I hoped I was making that clearer.

  “I’m aware, but since when do you need anyone’s permission to make decisions?” she asked with a broadening grin. “Last time I checked, you were the one who will be crowned presiding emperor in less than a year.”

  I hadn’t realized it until now, but I needed this, a reminder that someone believed in me, believed the decisions I made lately weren’t completely wrong. Discussing it with Elle helped me grasp something else. The negative opinion concerning my actions were more a reflection of those whose opinions I sought.

  Not the actions themselves.

  “Any word from Roman?”

  Hearing Elle ask made me feel sick to my stomach. The longer we went without a response to the many calls and texts we sent, the more likely it was that he’d gone off the rails.

  “No,” I sighed. “He’s been radio silent since he stormed out.”

  “He’s an important component to the vow you four made to the Dynasty. His cooperation with the blood bond will be key to a cure being produced for his quadrant, right?”

  I nodded. “Yes, and if I knew how to bring him back, I’d do it in a heartbeat. However, I know from experience that if Roman Fairchild doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be found.”

  About a week ago, I bit the bullet and reached out to his father for insight. It proved to be a mistake when he refused my call, and then advised his staff to inform me that I wasn’t to call there again. It would have been helpful to at least know if they’d seen him, but no such information was shared.

  Unfortunately, that meant we were just as much in the dark today as we’d been from the start.

  “Do you … think he might be a problem?”

  I peered over at Elle when she asked.

  “I wish I knew the answer to that,” was the most honest response I could offer her. To say that I thought Roman was still on our side, still willing to keep our many secrets was a stretch. He’d been unstable for a while now, and I believed he misunderstood me and the others’ stance that morning in the dining room. Yes, he’d spoken out of turn to Corina, but that shouldn’t have been something we couldn’t resolve. If he’d stayed, we could have reached an understanding.

  Elle was quiet the rest of the way, maybe mulling over the dilemma with Roman like I did. Yet, the bottom line was, no one knew whether Roman was a threat or an asset, but he himself.

  We reached our destination and Silas pulled into the parking structure right behind us. It was dark and overgrown with weeds, but it was the safest place I could think of to meet. This was one of the few abandoned blocks that remained in the Capitol, although that wouldn’t be so for long. With plans to revitalize dead parts of the city, within the next two years, streets that had been lifeless for centuries would again be alight with energy. If we were still in communication with Corina’s team when that time came, face-to-face meetings would be much more difficult.

  Elle and I stepped out of the car, and the echo of our doors slamming closed was jarring to the senses. No sooner than we set foot on the pavement, Silas climbed out of the truck, and a large white van rolled in with its headlights dark.

  We pulled several strings to make this all come together, this “mission” as Elle called it. The first time, fear of being caught nearly outweighed the sense of obligation we felt to help. For me, that was no longer the case. Being here, aiding Cori’s friends in this way, felt like the right thing to do.

  Even if no one but those of us standing there agreed.

  Felix and Liv hesitated to leave their van, and I had a feeling that had something to do with the third wheel who tagged along today.

  “Evening,” I greeted them. “I hope you don’t mind, but Elle’s a close friend of ours, and a close friend of Corina. She asked to join us this time, because she’s been dying to meet you both.”

  Liv hung back a bit, pushing a hand through her cropped hair as bright green eyes settled on me.

  Elle passed a look my way before stepping forward, extending her hand to shake Felix’s.

  “Pleased to meet you,” she chirped, clearly missing the tension that engulfed us.

  “Th—there’s nothing to be afraid of,” Silas stammered, flashing a nervous smile toward our two human companions. “Elle’s not one of us. She’s an A.I. A member of Julian’s staff.” His revelation caused the tension in Felix’s brow to disappear right away. Instead, the look of concern was replaced by intrigue.

  His gaze went to the hand Elle still held out to him. When he took it, it had nothing to do with returning the gesture she offered. It was an examination. His mouth quirked with half a smile as he studied her state-of-the-art design, her lifelike flesh, and seamless joints. Next, he met Elle’s gaze, staring at the red tone of her irises.

  “She looks just like one of you. If you hadn’t told me she wasn’t real, I never would’ve guessed it.”

  I think we were all surprised when Elle quickly snatched her hand from Felix’s, but no one was as surprised as him. Although there was no question about what offended her.

  “Not real?” Her voice raised an octave with the question. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m as ‘real’ as anyone else,” she assured him.

  “Felix wasn’t implying anything, Elle,” Silas explained, making quick work of calming her.

  We didn’t need her to make a scene. Not with things between the humans and us being so new, so unstable. Silas hadn’t been the biggest fan of me bringing Elle into my home, but I think he’d grown to see her in the same light I did.

  “My apologies,” Felix stammered, addressing Elle directly. “It’s just that I’ve never seen, I mean met, anyone like you. I’ve heard about Ianite tech, but hadn’t had much opportunity to admire it at close range.” He looked her over again. “The craftsmanship that went into creating you is … outstanding.”

  A laugh from Liv broke up some of the tension.

  “All right, Fe. Give her some space.” She pushed him aside and extended a hand toward Elle. “Nice meeting you. Excuse my friend. He’s not usually this creepy.”

  “Promise?” Elle asked with a smile.

  “Promise.” When Liv lightheartedly returned the gesture, others could only imagine the relief I felt.

  It wasn’t lost on me that they were quicker to trust Elle—a machine—than they were to trust us, but I knew they were skeptical all these years for good reason. By default, A.I.s had no preconceived notions about humans, and therefore were less of a threat.

  “You guys have any trouble tonight?” Liv asked, nodding toward the truck we stocked to the brim.

  “None,” I shared, “which is why I think we should plan to meet again soon. Once we’re able to get the truck back from you, that is.”

  “Perhaps, next time,” Silas cut in, “we could find a way to secure a decent ration of medication and supplies, too. If we’re able to make it happen, we can check in with you using the network.”

  To my surprise, his generous offer was met with silence.

  Felix and Liv shared another of their loaded stares, and I wondered what it meant this time.

  “Listen,” Felix began. “We appreciate everything you two have done, but honestly, we discussed the possibility of this being our final meetup.” He lifted his hands in frustration. “It’s been what, two? Three weeks? At this point, we’re not even sure Cori is alive.”

  The tension in his brow, his jaw, made it clear that hadn’t been an easy thing to admit, but of course they questioned it.

  “What if I could tell you I’m certain Corina is still alive? Would you stay in this fight with us then?”

  Liv peered up when I asked.

  “How can you possibly give us your word about that?”

  Taking a deep breath, I recalled Dr. Percival’s explanation. “
The blood bond links all our lives,” I shared. “If one of us who’s partaken dies, the rest of us die, too. So … the fact that I’m still on this side of the dirt means Levi and Corina definitely are as well.”

  Liv’s expression was intense, questioning. “And you’re certain of this?”

  I nodded. “I wouldn’t joke about something so important.”

  There was a standoff between us while she seemed to consider my words. Her gaze slipped to Felix.

  “Then, we’ll keep in touch.”

  Hearing her give in to letting us help them further brought a sense of relief that defied reason. They weren’t our responsibility, technically, but that didn’t lessen our determination to take care of them.

  “With how heavily guarded the medical houses are, getting meds will be a million times trickier than scoring food,” Felix warned. “You’re sure you want to attempt this?” The genuine concern that seemed to emanate from him with the inquiry was hard to miss.

  “I haven’t asked questions, but I’m pretty sure there are a lot of people with your group. Am I right?”

  A grave look seeped into Liv’s expression, and it was all the confirmation Silas needed.

  “Then I’m sure you all could use the supplies,” he concluded.

  “It’s just that … you’re risking a lot,” Liv reasoned. “And you don’t even know us.” She hesitated to meet my gaze again. “We’ve been in these situations before, and those who help us almost always end up wanting something in return.” She blinked and a bit of the distrust I’d hoped we overcame bled through. “I can’t help but to wonder what this will cost us in the end.”

  Glancing toward Silas, I was unsure how to explain our new position in this scenario. It’d be nearly impossible to convince them that we—two princes who’d benefited from the current order of things all our lives—were looking to alter a centuries-old system. It was the incredulousness of it all that made me freeze.

  “The only thing this alliance will ever cost you,” Elle interjected, “is your trust.” I glanced toward her when she spoke in our defense. “Once the princes come through on this next mission, whatever debt you feel you owe, can be settled with real, honest, absolute friendship. Nothing more,” she concluded.